What Determines Rural Residents’ Intention and Behavior Towards Clean Energy Use? Evidence from Northwest China

Two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals highlight that energy supply, conversion, transmission, and consumption are primary contributors to climate change, accounting for 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Exploring the influencing factors on the intention and behavior of clean energy use in rural areas is a crucial step in achieving the “Dual Carbon” target and global sustainable development goals. The article constructed a theoretical analysis framework of “environmental knowledge—perceived value—use intention—use behavior”. Taking Gansu Province, a typical case area in northwest China, as a case study, data from 766 survey questionnaires were used to analyze the characteristics and impact mechanism of clean energy use behavior among residents. This article finds that rural household energy use is moving towards low-carbon goals, but traditional energy remains an important component, especially in winter heating scenarios. Only the use intention has a direct promoting effect on use behavior, with a regression coefficient of 0.108. Perceived value and use intention play a chain-mediating role between environmental knowledge and use behavior. Residents with higher income levels, higher education levels, and poorer health conditions are more likely to develop clean energy use intention and behavior. At the same time, government intervention measures also have a promoting effect. Finally, countermeasures and suggestions for improving the public’s level of clean energy utilization in underdeveloped areas were proposed.